The PGA Tour could have some tough decisions to make.
LIV Golf has been trying to be a rival tour for the PGA Tour, but its future is very murky. It’s been reported that LIV Golf was winding down operations. According to Trey Wingo, the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, shifts its focus to a broader strategy amid the ongoing wars in the Middle East.
Following the report, many golf fans wondered what that would mean for the golfers on LIV and their chances to return to the PGA Tour. Now, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp broke his silence on the matter and whether or not they would want to welcome them back.
“I’m interested in doing whatever makes the PGA Tour better,” Rolapp said to Wingo on his podcast. “Fans want the best players playing together. Having said that, I don’t know what the circumstances are. Once there’s clarity, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
As Rolapp noted, the PGA Tour would benefit from some star golfers in LIV returning. But the PGA Tour can’t make any decisions until LIV Golf makes a clear decision on its future. Currently, it’s just rumors that the league will shut down.
LIV Golf Could Cease Operations
LIV Golf was founded in 2021 and had its first season in 2022.
The league was backed by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. Because of that, LIV Golf was able to land star golfers like Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, and Cam Smith, among others.
Yet, according to Wingo, all signs point to LIV Golf shutting down, and it could come at the end of the year.
“BREAKING: Sources indicate LIV is preparing to wind down operations as the Public Investment Fund (PIF) reassesses its broader strategy amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East. A recent board meeting in New York focused on the league’s near-term future. Including whether to cease operations following this week’s event in Mexico City or continue through the end of the season,” Wingo wrote.
“Importantly, this is not a reflection of LIV’s commercial performance. The league was fully funded through 2030 — this is a top-down strategic shift driven by evolving geopolitical priorities. MBS pulled the plug.”
LIV Golf has eight events left after this week’s event in Mexico, which began on April 16.
Who Might PGA Tour Want Back?
If LIV Golf does cease operations, there would be multiple golfers the PGA Tour would want back.
The PGA Tour already set a precedent to get back on the Tour. Koepka had to pay a hefty fine, among other punishments. Reed, meanwhile, has to sit out a year and is eligible to return in August.
The other main golfers that the PGA Tour would likely want back are DeChambeau, Rahm, Tyrell Hatton, Smith, and Joaquin Niemann. Some other names that could warrant a return would be Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Mickelson, Matthew Wolff, Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, and Bubba Watson.
However, for now, all of it is speculation. But the PGA Tour is keeping options open to welcome LIV golfers back.
PGA Tour CEO Makes Feelings Clear on LIV Golf’s Murky Future